TAMPA — This should be everyone’s workday. Some light running followed by 10 minutes of throwing followed by a little stretching, all while you wait to find out if you will be paid $7.2 million or $9.2 million.

When Yankee media relations director Rick Cerrone injected himself into what really was Mariano Rivera’s day, at about 12:25 p.m. yesterday, Rivera

was doing a series of sit-ups on the grass of a back diamond at Legends Field. Cerrone informed the Yankee closer that a trio of arbitrators had decided the team had won and, theoretically, that Rivera had lost and would be paid $7.2 million for this season.

Rivera nodded his head, thanked Cerrone and went back to his sit-ups. And that pretty much summed up the camp-wide reaction to this decision. Professional. The Yankees did not gloat, Rivera did not mope and teammates ribbed him with good nature about being rich instead of richer.

“For me, it’s good either way,” said Rivera, whose case was arbitrated Thursday. “I’m happy with it … I’m not upset at all. I’m happy to be here and concentrating on what I have to do this year.”

The victory further helps the Yankees meet George Steinbrenner’s mandate of keeping the payroll under $100 million. The Yanks currently have 20 players signed for approximately $92.2 million, which means — barring a trade — they will come in at around $94 million.

It also changes the issue back to whether the Yankees and Rivera can agree on a multi-year contract. The Yanks offered Rivera a four-year, $36 million package before the hearing. Rivera’s representatives told the Yanks they would take $37.5 million if Rivera lost the arbitration, $39.5 million if he won.

However, the Yankees are now not so sure they would even offer the $36 million again. Team executives are not supposed to meet before tomorrow on the subject. And Rivera said after finding out about his pay that he has no regrets over rejecting the long-term offer and added about the $36 million offer, “I didn’t take it before, why should I take it now?”

San Diego’s Trevor Hoffman averages more on his deal annually ($8 million) than Rivera will make, but no closer will earn more exclusively in 2000 than Rivera. And the $7.25 million, even in defeat, is the most any player had ever received after going through arbitration. That all helped lighten the mood of a rare Rivera defeat.

Just after he entered the locker room, some players asked for handouts, David Cone screamed across the room that Rivera’s agent was terrible and Rivera joked, “It is like a funeral in here” as reporters came up to him with some trepidation. Steinbrenner approached the closer more brusquely, with a hug of his head and then an arm around his shoulder.

“I came in to tell him I am still behind him,” Steinbrenner said. “I told him to keep his head in the game, he’s still my pal. I think he will be fine. He’s a Yankee. He will be fine. We’d all be behind him even if he had won.”